NEWS

It was another quite news week on the Kate front (you can expect all future newsletters to begin in the same way over the next few months!) The biggest Cambridge related story to break this week was about Prince George. According to an article which featured in The Sunday Times, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are planning to make more public appearances with Prince George.

Roya Nikkhah, the author of the article is a credible royal reporter who goes on to suggest a possible future outing for Prince George could be the Royal Norfolk Show which takes place in the first week of July. The event is the largest two-day agricultural show in the country, and we all know how much Prince George loves visiting farm parks, so this would be a perfect event for the little prince.

The article also states new official photographs of Prince George and Princess Charlotte will be released in July before Charlotte's christening which is expected to take place in late July before the Queen travels to Balmoral for her summer vacation.

I'm hoping we get a glimpse of Kate (and George) before July. I think there's a good chance they may make an appearance at Trooping the Colour on Saturday 13th June. Fingers crossed!

REPLIKATE ROUNDUP

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

US$99.90

£68

US$62

£15.29

Amazon US$129.99

US$30.99

US$96

US$129.99

£47.20

£95.00

Mango €169.99

US$64.99

PRODUCT REVIEW

"I was hesitant to buy it as I didn't know which size would be best for me. I received many different responses from friends about the sizing of this dress. Some said it runs large, others said true to size. I decided to go a size down from what I usually purchase in Kate's dresses and I'm glad I did as the size down fits perfectly, no tailoring required. I knew that this dress would be a generous fit as she wore it while pregnant.

The shipping from John Lewis UK to my home in the US was extremely fast, delivered via FedEx tracked.

The boat print is adorable and the fabric is soft and silky. It's a great shift dress that can be worn with my Stuart Weitzman blue suede Corkswoon wedges or the Minx. This dress is very versatile and can even be worn with black suede pumps in the colder months".

FASHION UPDATE

In other fashion news, John Lewis has an exclusive LK Bennett 'Lasana' dress in cornflower blue. It's identical to the 'Lasa' except for a slight variation in the poppy colour! The original 'Lasa' poppies are rendered in Snorkel Blue, whereas the 'Lasana' poppies are a muted Cornflower Blue.

SAVVY SALES

Alexander McQueen accessories are currently on sale at Gilt. There's a beautiful collection of handbags, scarves and shoes. Yes the prices are still expensive but I think they represent good value for such an iconic designer and a good entry to adding a piece of McQueen to your collection. The sale is on for another 2 days only.

Another Kate favourite, Stuart Weitzman is also on sale at Gilt, however it is their collection of girls footwear. Prices start from about $20 so they are very affordable for an upmarket label. There are so many adorable styles, perhaps we may see Princess Charlotte donning some of them :)

NEWS

It appears that the Cambridge royal family have settled in well to their country life at Anmer Hall.

PEOPLE reports that Kate was recently spotted with Prince George at Dersingham Recreation Ground, a park near their Norfolk mansion:

"All the local boys and girls got to play with Prince George and none of them knew anything about it," a local resident tells PEOPLE.

Via fieldsintrust.org

The US Weekly provided some insight into Kate's shopping habits. The Duchess has been frequently spotted at an organic food store near her home, Back to the Garden.

"She's buying fresh local produce. All organic. And the princess is just plain folks amongst the locals. People give her space. No one is rushing over to ask for selfies." a source tells the US Weekly.

Via Back to Garden Facebook page

While the Duchess works on setting a routine for her young family in their new home, there's speculation that she may be interested in joining the Women's Institute (WI). The WI is a community-based organization founded during the first World War. It is the largest women's voluntary organisation in the UK.

The president of the Anmer WI, Dorothy Pulsford-Harris, has had a positive response to a letter she sent the Duchess before Christmas inviting her to join.

She said: "I had a very nice letter back from her private secretary saying she was interested and may contact me later if she wanted to take it any further.

Queen Elizabeth, Princess Anne and the Countess of Wessex are all members of the WI so it seems highly likely that the Duchess would join her local WI.

"I've finally received the Lasa Poppy Print dress replica from eBay seller doll2079 and I think is a great copy of the original LK Bennett one. I usually wear S but I chose an M size just because the seller told me it runs very small. Actually I had to tailor it because in the end it run large on me. I've also found today a very nice clutch to accessorize the dress, a replica of the Oroton Odeion Indigo Clutch Bag. Here is the link."

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Here are Page's thoughts on the dress:

"This is my new FAVORITE dress! I ordered it from eBay and it looks and feels wonderful. I did have to have it taken in a little in the waist but other than that it fits well and is well made. I truly feel like a "princess" every time I wear it. Also, I am a true size 6 US and I ordered the medium."

If you would like to submit a review of your recent repliKate purchase, please send an email to admin@katescloset.com.au. Please include a short review about the quality and fit, the product link, and photos (optional but recommended).

NEWS

Wow, it's already been two weeks since the arrival of Princess Charlotte! The royal baby watch felt like an eternity, and now that the little princess is here, time just flies by!

With the Cambridge's now settled in Anmer Hall, I don't anticipate we will see or hear much from Kate until after summer. However, this week the Duchess did make an effort to show her support for the Children's Hospice Week which is officially underway in the UK. In her role as patron of EACH the Duchess of Cambridge penned a heartfelt note in support for this important fundraising event:

REPLIKATE ROUNDUP

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

US$65

£38.99

US$18.75

£12

US$34.95

$69.95

REPLIKATE REVIEW

"The main difference with the original Kiki ones is these are slightly bigger (about 14 mm at the widest point compared to 10 mm for the real deal) and longer (about 28 mm in total, compared to 22 mm) and the stones are fixed in place with prongs all around, whereas the Kiki pair only have four prongs at the corners. Apart from that, the metalwork seems to be good quality and the lever-back hoops appear quite sturdy, unlike some other Chinese costume jewellery, which tend to be rather fragile. They're hallmarked on the back with the usual .925 sterling silver mark. A huge plus, the crystal studded drops are fully removable, so you could use the hoops on their own or with a different set of pendants, as you can do with the originals. The main crystals are a delicate and entirely plausible champagne pink, and very sparkly."

If you would like to submit a review of your recent repliKate purchase, please send an email to admin@katescloset.com.au. Please include a short review about the quality and fit, the product link, and photos (optional but recommended).

FASHION UPDATES

Madderson London has a new season maternity version of their 'Naomi' shift dress. This update has obvious differences to the non-maternity Naomi dress, which is optimized to suit a pregnant figure. They have re-imagined the dress for the spring-summer season. Madderson added capped-sleeves and fresh green-and-white French tweed accents.

WIN!

Last week, Giulia G. contributed a clever DIY tutorial for this gorgeous repliKate of the pearl cluster brooch. Her generosity continues, this week she is giving away one of her handmade pearl brooches! For your chance to WIN this beautiful brooch simply complete the entry form below:

Entry Form

This competition is run by Kate's Closet. Giulia G. have kindly donated the prize, one handmade pearl cluster brooch. The competition is open worldwide. The prize will be posted via an untrackable postal service. Neither Kate's Closet nor Giulia G. accept responsibility or liability if the parcel is lost or damaged in transit. The competition will end at midnight AEST on 22nd May 2015 and the winner will be announced in the 23rd May edition of the newsletter.

NEWS

This week was a pinnacle for royal watchers! On 2nd May 2015 the Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to a healthy baby girl! In less than 12 hours of Kensington Palace announcing that Kate was in labour, the Duke & Duchess stood on the steps of the Lindo Wing holding their precious Princess. Click to read more >

Two days later, the Duke and Duchess announced the name of their newborn daughter; Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. Click to read more >

The next day, the Cambridge's packed their bags and headed out of London to retreat to their country home, Anmer Hall. The family are expected to base themselves at their refurbished Georgian home in Norfolk over the coming years, where they intend to raise their children with as much privacy as possible. Click to read more >

COMMEMORATIVE GIFTS

Following the royal birth, there was an explosion of gift-ware commemorating the birth of Princess Charlotte. From the official coins and chinaware to yummy sweets, here's a snippet of what you can find to commemorate the arrival of the Princess of Cambridge ...

REPLIKATE ROUNDUP

SAVVY SALES

REPLIKATE REVIEW

Tam Tho bought this repliKate of the Ralph Lauren peplum jacket from White House Black Market and shared her thoughts on the blazer:

"I’ve been waiting for a perfect replicate jacket and when I saw this jacket from Kate’s Closet 25th April weekly newsletter I ordered it right away with my WHBM coupon. This is a great seasonless ¾ sleeves jacket to wear in spring/summer or even early fall. The princess-seamed hugs to the waist nicely (62% polyester, 32% rayon, 6% spandex). I like a bit more length in a peplum style so I ordered regular size, true to size chart. You can close with the 3 hook eye closure only."

DIY REPLIKATE PEARL BROOCH

Giulia G, a frequent contributor to Kate's Closet is one talented lady! A few weeks back, she posted this pic on Instagram showcasing her gorgeous handmade pearl brooch. Some of you may recognize it's similarity to the one worn by Kate at last year's Trooping the Colour event.

NEWS

I was putting the finishing touches to this week's newsletter, when news broke of the Duchess of Cambridge's admission to St Mary's Hospital at 6 am (BST)!

Kensington Palace released the news via Twitter:

I held off from publishing the newsletter until the baby was born. I didn't have to wait long! Five hours after the Duchess was admitted, Kensington Palace notified the world that the Duchess of Cambridge had given birth to a baby girl at 8.43 am (BST) weighing 8lbs 3 oz. Kate was in labour just under 3 hours.

That's all the official updates we have at the moment. The Telegraph has a live feed of the Lindo Wing door. It's currently unknown when the new royal family will be discharged from the hospital and if they will receive any visitors.

Stay tuned to Facebook or ﻿Twitter﻿ for the latest news on the Princess of Cambridge!

REPLIKATE ROUNDUP

Below are my favourite repliKates of the week ...

ModCloth US$99.99

US$120

US$40

ModCloth AU$99.95

US$47.50

£18.00

REPLIKATE CLOSET

Jill Williams, a long time friend of Kate's Closet proposed this special feature for the Newsletter. She has kindly showcased her repliKate outfits and I just love the idea of taking a peek into a fellow repliKater's closet :) Where available, Jill has shared details of her outfit along with a product link.

Here's what Jill has to say about her repliKating habits:"I have always had an interest in nice clothes – I don’t think I really have an awful lot of clothes (although it may appear that I have) but I am a savvy buyer – almost all of the clothes I have showcased have all been reduced – I very rarely pay full price for any item of clothing. For example, the light green Emerson top I wore under the green Banana Republic jacket was only $19.00. The black Hot Options jeggings I have on in the photos, were only $9 from Target. As regards to shoes and handbags – I have about two handbags which I regularly use – and about 5-6 pairs of shoes – some for “best” and some for “casual”. Kate’s wardrobe is really inspirational – she gets it right every time – right down to the jewellery and hair style. Any aged woman could wear her clothing – and which they obviously do with the Kate-effect after an appearance in an outfit! Kate’s Closet is also an inspirational site for all of us Kate fans – we can Repli-Kate an outfit for a snippet of the cost and still feel like a Duchess ;) I have bought some of my outfits from the links that were put up in Elizabeth’s site – all for a fraction of the cost – and sometimes the styles (dare I say) are better ! I hope you all enjoyed looking through these photographs as much as I enjoyed doing them. I had such a girly day – a day that was good for the soul – with a friend who spotted some detail in the original photos that I was able to Repli-Kate".

If you would like to have your RepliKate Closet featured in the newsletter, please drop me a line at admin@katescloset.com.au

REPLIKATE REVIEW

A few week's ago I posted that this season Orla Keily for People Tree has a shirt dress with the same 'Birdwatch' print and similar silhouette to Kate's Orla Keily frock. It's available in grey and green. Jill snapped one up and shared her thoughts on the dress:

I chose the grey dress over the green one – the fabric is very soft and falls beautifully. It is also quite a thick stretchy cotton. I particularly liked the elbow length sleeves. The belt is covered with the same material as the dress and has a buckle in the front. I bought the double leaf earrings from People Tree too. Although I wore black tights in the photo (because Kate wore black tights with hers! lol) I do believe that the dress would be better worn with normal nude tights and tan shoes. I also had a tan cross- over shoulder bag which blended in beautifully with the frock. It is very easy to order from People Tree – they give very good customer service, with good communication and the parcel arrives quite quickly after purchase.

Why it’s good to buy from People Tree: made by Assisi Garments. Assisi Garments is a social enterprise in India. The skilled artisans at Assisi transform Fairtrade and organic cotton fibre into beautiful handmade garments.

If you would like to submit a review of your recent repliKate purchase, please send an email toadmin@katescloset.com.au. Please include a short review about the quality and fit, the product link, and photos (optional but recommended).

FASHION UPDATE

This week, ASOS reissued their maternity polka dot wrap dress as seen on the Duchess of Cambridge. However, can you spot the difference? Kate's version has randomly patterned dots, but they appear more aligned in the new version.